ASPCA’s Operation Gimme Shelter Provides Dog Houses for At-Risk Pets

The ASPCA Cruelty Intervention Advocacy team, volunteers from New York Cares, and the NYPD Community Affairs Office set up shop in the 113th Precinct in Jamaica, Queens, this weekend to provide free dog houses, pet ID tags, dog food, behavioral support and educational materials to community members and their canine companions. These resources were in high demand: We distributed 35 large dog houses, as well as rain checks for 15 more houses as part of a pilot program called Operation Gimme Shelter for at-risk pets.

New York City has experienced unusually frigid temperatures and record-breaking snowfall this winter, resulting in numerous reports to the NYPD of pets left out in the cold. In some cases, pet owners lack the resources or financial means to purchase dog houses. As temperatures remain below freezing and snow continues to fall in NYC, we’re relieved that Saturday’s dog house recipients will stay warm and dry.